Daily Prayer Thread for "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth"

The Mayor

[Bahbah]

Good morning, Mayor and all. I pray that the Lord will hold the Swift Boat Vets and all who care about this great country in his hands and grant us his peace.

[Alamo-Girl]

I join in prayer for our heroes and their loved ones!

[Pegita]

Good Morning, Mr. Mayor and Beloved Prayer Warriors ~

Heavenly Father, we return with grateful hearts to praise You for Your redeeming work through Jesus Christ. May this day find hearts so overcome by the Power of the Holy Spirit, that lives will be redeemed for all eternity.

And may it be, Merciful Father, that our beloved Veterans will be true to the task set before them ... grant them success in unmasking the deceit and deception of one man and his party, else we will be overtaken. Look with mercy upon their mission ... cause us to choose wisely and well. In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen ...

[austingirl]

My daily offering is made to God for the protection and care of the Swiftees.

[Kitty Mittens]

Praying with you, your Honor, and agreeing with your beautiful prayer as I do daily, sister Pegita.

[The Mayor]

October 27, 2004

Letters To God

Read: Psalm 65:1-8

O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come. —Psalm 65:2

Bible In One Year: Jeremiah 12-14; 2 Timothy 1

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Every year thousands of letters addressed to God find their way to a post office in Jerusalem. One letter, addressed to "God of Israel," requested assistance in getting a job as a bulldozer driver. Another said: "Please help me to be happy, to find a nice job and a good wife—soon." One man asked forgiveness for stealing money from a grocery store when he was a child.

But were those heartfelt requests heard by God? The psalmist said that God is the one who hears prayer (Psalm 65:2). Whether we say our prayers silently, voice them aloud, or write them on paper, they go directly to God. But He does not answer every request as we would wish. Our petitions may be self-serving (James 4:3), or sin may be blocking our fellowship with Him (Psalm 66:18).

More than giving us what we want, the Lord knows our deepest needs, and He wants us to discover the joy of His presence each day. Because of our faith in Christ, praying becomes our means of communion with God, not just a list of things we want from Him.

In His wisdom, God hears all our prayers. In His grace, He offers forgiveness for all our sins. In His love, He gives us eternal and abundant life through His Son. —David McCasland

Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray;
This is my heart-cry day unto day.
I long to know Thy will and Thy way;
Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray. —Reitz
© 1925, 1953 Broadman Press

God hears more than our words—He listens to our heart.

[TXnMA]

Good Morning, Mr. Mayor, RC, and Prayer Warrrior friends!

FYI, RC just posted a photo of our "Sgt Chris" in action in Afghanistan! (See my comment #5...)

Dear Lord, please enfold all our beloved troops in your arms of love and ptotection -- and lift up, embolden, and support our Swifties in this last crucial week of their also-important battle!

[Pegita]

Good Morning, Mr. Mayor and Beloved Prayer Warriors ~

Heavenly Father, we return to thank You for the steady course the Swift Boat Veterans and POWs have charted ... they have veered neither right nor left but maintained the word of truth these many days. They have suffered much ... two times over in their service to their country. May they leave this tour of duty with utmost praise and gratitude from their countrymen, for they have asked nothing for themselves, but have given everything that this nation would proceed with honor. Let not their message fall on deaf ears, but stir us to listen, and believe, and reject that which is false and cling only to that which is true. In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen ...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Joining you in prayer, and thanksgiving for our Swift Boat Veterans, Sgt. Chris and co., our prayer warriors, and the new daily mercies and revealed wonders of His world!

[cyn]

"Let not their message fall on deaf ears, but stir us to listen, and believe, and reject that which is false and cling only to that which is true."

And, Lord, may each voter consider his vote in light of YOUR ways and Your righteousness and not take this responsibility lightly or for granted. Father, please be with Your people in this time of need, with all the lawyers, outsiders, troublemakers gathering in our beloved states and communities; let us be united in our desire for good, YOUR good to prevail in our communities and over our nation.

Please be with our President, his wife, his daughters, his advisors and other leaders -- may they seek Your ways moment to moment, and be comforted in Your loving care. Be with our soldiers moment by moment, that they have everything they need for their safety and wellbeing and especially that they seek Your ways; comfort their families. Thank You for the veterans and others who have been willing to speak the truth against all obstacles -- please continue to guard, protect, and comfort them. Thank you for those who love and fight for Terri Schiavo, and give them everything they need to continue their fight against evil on Terri's behalf.

Thank You for Your many blessings -- we do not take them for granted. May we each continually seek Your ways, Your righteousness. In Jesus' Name, Amen

[crabbie]

Joing in with my continued prayers.

[Alamo-Girl]

I join in prayer for our heroes and their loved ones!

[Pegita]

Amen, dear cyn, Amen ...

[austingirl]

My prayers continue for the Swiftees.

[TurtleStink]

Prayers for the Swifties, that great man John O'Neill and his band of Brothers. Our utmost for his highest, they certainly live up to this. Last ad was inspired.

[Kitty Mittens]

Amen, Cyn!

[The Mayor]

October 28, 2004

The Frog's "Blackboard"

Read: Psalm 119:33-40

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. —Psalm 119:37

Bible In One Year: Jeremiah 15-17; 2 Timothy 2

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As a young boy, one of my favorite pastimes was hunting frogs along the banks of a pond near our home. I was unaware of their unique visual powers that enabled them to elude me so easily. Later I learned that the frog's optical field is like a blackboard wiped clean, and that the only images it receives are objects that directly concern him. These little amphibians are never distracted by unimportant things, but are aware only of essentials and whatever may be dangerous to them.

In the Christian life we frequently become preoccupied with the vain things of the world. We allow our lives to become so cluttered with materialistic and insignificant concerns that we lose perspective of the things that endure. In our text the psalmist asked God for help in fixing his attention on what is good and lasting (Psalm 119:37).

The words of the Lord should not depart from our eyes, but must be kept in our heart always (Proverbs 4:21). Then our field of vision will be wiped clean of unnecessary things, and we will see clearly what God wants us to do.

Have you become distracted by sin so that you can no longer discern what is really important? Then take a lesson from the frog's "blackboard" and center your gaze on Christ and His will for your life. —Mart De Haan

O God, You know my wayward heart,
So prone to choose an earthly part;
From vain affections set me free,
That I may always look to Thee. —Anon.

The more attracted we are to Christ, the less we'll be distracted by the world.

[Bahbah]

Good morning, Mayor. I want to say how much I enjoy your scripture exerpts and the accompanying thoughts each day. I give thanks to God for the Swift Boat Vets and pray for his blessings on them.

[Pegita]

Good Morning, Mr. Mayor and Beloved Prayer Warriors ~

Heavenly Father, we return with grateful hearts that You have so motivated Your people to gather around these beloved Veterans ... thank You that the monies needed for this last week of truth-telling have been given ... may each truthful word spoken fall readily upon ears that will hear. Vindicate each Veteran against the lies that have been spoken against them these many years ... may they fully be embraced by a grateful country for their service to us then, and now. They have brought dignity and honor to a political arena noted for its dishonesty ... they have stood before John Kerry with their statements and questions ... they have not wavered. May we echo the truth of their words on November 2nd ... we covet honor and decency in our President. In the Name of Jesus, may it be thus, Amen ...

[The Mayor]

This week marks the fifth anniversary of one of the worst weeks in the history of Fort Worth, Texas. What happened that week was a demonstration of evil and good, of a mad killer at work and a kind community in mourning. The week also revealed something about the man who now sits in the White House.

On September 15, 1999, a deranged man in a black trench coat entered a church in Ft. Worth, Texas, armed with bullets and a pipe bomb. He approached a group of worshippers in the foyer awaiting choir practice. He asked about a prayer meeting, and then began shooting. He headed to the sanctuary, which he sprayed with gunfire as he shouted obscenities. Seven were dead and many more injured. A teenage boy stopped the slaughter when he yelled out defiantly, "You can kill me, but you can't kill my faith!" Upon hearing those words, the assassin found a pew, sat down, and shot himself.

The first person murdered that day was Sydney Browning, a seminary graduate and local educator who was selected Teacher of the Year at her high school two years in a row. She was hit in the head and chest at point-blank range and died instantly. Her father, Don, has obviously never forgotten that day, nor the compassion from the
community he saw in the days that followed. "I never saw anything grip the city like that," he says today.

The morning after the massacre an impromptu prayer session was held at the pastor's house. The church was now a crime scene, filled with police, coroners, chalked lines, bullet-ridden oak walls, and blood-soaked carpets.

A surprise attendee at that prayer session was Texas Governor George W. Bush, who made the 186-mile trip from
Austin. He arrived unannounced and left almost as quietly. A church of God had been converted into a Texas killing field, and the governor came to offer his personal prayers.

So overwhelming was the outpouring of grief that the shocked community was forced to hold the memorial service at the football stadium at Texas Christian University. Sydney Browning's father was asked to speak at the service. When he arrived backstage before the
event, he unexpectedly encountered the Texas governor. The two men shook hands. "Are you coming into this a believer?" Bush asked.
Browning nodded. "God bless you," said Bush. "I'm praying for you."
The service organizers then asked their unanticipated guest if he
would like to sit at the platform with the other VIPs. The governor
replied, "No, this isn't about me," and sat in the stands among the
thousands.

Browning spoke last. The choir director had long ago connected with
his little girl through music, and he thought it fitting to finish
his remarks by extemporaneously singing the first song his daughter had sung in public. "This little light of mine, I'm gonna' let it shine,"
he began, asking the audience to join him. Browning paused to note
that the last verse of the song reads: "Let it shine 'til Jesus
comes." He told the crowd that his daughter no longer needs to sing
that last line, but the rest of them do. The tribute closed with
that.

When the service ended, the governor approached Browning once more. "That was great," said Bush, clasping Browning's hand. "I couldn't have done it."

George W. Bush then exited as he came: low-key, with no cameras. He had said nothing profound or poetic. One can understand why his
appearance went unreported. His response was memorable only for its
lack of showiness. In both visits after the shooting, Bush avoided
the press, told no one he was coming, stayed, prayed, paid his respects, talked briefly to the families, and then silently drove away.

My home sits 1,300 miles from Ft. Worth. I learned of this story
while researching George W. Bush's faith. Someone recommended I look into this terrible incident. That someone suggested I telephone his
friend, Don Browning. One day in April 2004 I did just that, and
spent an hour on the telephone with Mr. Browning, who recounted to me (a stranger) the awful details of the Texas church shooting that took
the life of his beloved daughter, Sydney. I'm sure my call ruined his
day. Still, through that tragedy, Don Browning saw a side of the current president that the rest of us have not, and felt that side needed to be told.